To
read: Luke 1:68-79
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his
people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house
of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of
old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate
us. "Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Text from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
To think about:
Deep joy buckles our knees. When I first held my son's small form in the wee
dark hours of the morning, and just last week - though his toes nearly touch the
rustic wood frame of his bunk bed now - I worked a list of adjectives in my
heart to describe the beauty I saw until the inadequacy of those words left me
silent. And from the stillness rose a song of praise, wonder and hope. The
moment I was in pointed to none less than the Creator.
Upon the birth of John, Zachariah was drawn close to the Holy. As time stood still, Zachariah's knees buckled, and from his lips passed an exclamation of the goodness of our God. He proclaimed God's promise in fullness, the savior among us - outside of the moment, it was called prophesy. Zachariah cooed over his boy, as his boy was illumined by the radiance of the Light [of the World.]
Upon the birth of John, Zachariah was drawn close to the Holy. As time stood still, Zachariah's knees buckled, and from his lips passed an exclamation of the goodness of our God. He proclaimed God's promise in fullness, the savior among us - outside of the moment, it was called prophesy. Zachariah cooed over his boy, as his boy was illumined by the radiance of the Light [of the World.]
